Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013

2012 was a great roller-coaster ride. The challenges were difficult and somehow frustrating. But the rewards are so fulfilling.  I am grateful that I am coming out of it alive and well. And yes, I survived the rapture and the end of the world. Hell yeah! haha. Kidding aside, I don't know if things could get any worse. The hell I care. JUST BRING IT ON.

Whatever tomorrow brings, I only wish for one thing this incoming year, all I want is to be HAPPY. :)

Oh and by the way, I am moving to www.sarwrites.com. Can finally afford a domain name. Haha.

Goodbye, 2012. Hello there, 2013!

Book Reviews?

I've already read tons of books and I am thinking of writing a book review for the new books I am about to read or perhaps also those that I have already read. I want to share how an amazing book took me away or complain about how a book wasted my time (in a not-so-harsh way, of course! I'm not a good writer to even write about someone's terrible writing, as I am no book author and I am a terrible writer myself. I might as well keep my mouth shut when I think a book sucks.). Yes, I want to write a review. But, but, but...

Pass It On

A song is coming over me. I haven't actually heard this one in so many years, but it kept on playing over and over in my mind.  Thanks for the internet, I started listening to different renditions and all its related videos. Well, you know how it goes in youtube.

I loved this song back in my childhood years. I remember asking my kuyas in church to play this in piano or guitar, then I would sing my heart out even though I know my voice will definitely bleed their ears.

The song is true in so many ways. There's this feeling of glee inside me whenever I sing this. Just by that I can already feel God's great love over and I do want to pass it on.

I hope your Christmas is filled with God's love. Go ahead and pass it on. :)

It only takes a spark to get a fire going,
And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing;
That's how it is with God's Love,
Once you've experienced it,
Your spread His love to everyone
You want to pass it on. 

What a wonderous time is spring,
When all the tress are budding
The birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming;
That's how it is with God's love,
Once you've experienced it.
You want to sing, it's fresh like spring,
You want to pass it on. 

I wish for you my friend
This happiness that I've found;
You can depend on Him
It matters not where you're bound,
I'll shout it from the mountain top 
I want the world to know
The Lord of love has come to me
I want to pass it on. 

I'll shout it from the mountain top
I want the world to know
The Lord of love has come to me
I want to pass it on.

A few more hours

A few more hours, a mom's best home-cooked food will be attacked by eager kids. A few more hours when the clock strikes twelve, we'll all be helping ourselves with mouthful of servings of ham, spaghetti, macaroni salad, lechon manok, fruitcake or whatever bounty is placed before our tables for our noche buena.

That's a few more hours still. It's 4 o'clock, it's raining, and I'm hungry. So here's a dish of fried dilis topped with radish and tomatoes, plus spicy vinegar, and hot rice that's still cooking as of this writing. mmm.. nothing beats. :)

A few words before I go,

Be Merry.

A few more hours and it's Christmas!

A tale of two book formats

While browsing, I came across this:

We support the printed word in all its forms: newspapers, magazines, and of course books. We think reading on computers or phones or whatever is fine, but it cannot replace the experience of reading words printed on paper. We pledge to continue reading the printed word in the digital era  and beyond.

 ---------------------♥♥♥ ---------------------

Now, let me tell you my tale of two book formats.

Way back 2009, I was thinking of buying an ebook reader. It seemed like a heaven to be bringing an entire library in just one device. Plus, ebooks are way cheaper than real books (about 10 Php or $0.24 per copy uh-huh that's right, it's a c-o-p-y). I can even get them for free!

But since I can't afford to buy a kindle or a nook yet, I settled for a cheap china tablet with a 7" screen. I started downloading free ebooks, then bought some if I really can't find one that's free. My collection grew before I even know it.

Read, finish, then look for another one, repeat. That's how it goes. As I scour for new ebooks to read  it seemed like the previous reads do not exist anymore. It was there that I realized that awesome books (*cough* epic fantasies *cough*) deserve to be more than just an ebook.

It deserves a place in my bookshelf.

With every great ebook I read, my hand would itch to get a copy. I want something I can see and touch. Yes, I've seen the light. I know how cheap, practical, and convenient ebooks are. However, I always end up buying the real thing. Looking for a new ebook online at a click of the mouse doesn't cut the joy of spending hours on bookshops combing every shelf until I find a good book, or something that I've long been looking for.

ebook or real book? here's my e-reader with one of my favorite books

Don't get me wrong, I don't reject the idea of ebooks. I loved it. And I did not totally ditch my e-reader. I'm very thankful actually, for it saved my ass from buying a copy of those Twilight and Fifty Sh*ts of Gray kind of novels.

Nonetheless, real books for me are more personal.  The sound of the flipping pages, the feel of paper against my fingers, and the smell of the book that gives me the high is something I can never experience with an ebook. Plus, I dream of having my own mini-library. So what's the score?

BOOKS ARE FOREVER. Period.

P.S. By the way, I am living in a third world country where nobody cares when you  read a book while you commute. But bringing an ereader/tablet, is a different thing, a lot of eyes will be on you. And if you don't want to risk losing your hard-earned tablet, you don't want to bring it anywhere with you. Just saying.

Doomsday and Bacons

December 21, 2012

So this is it. The end of the mayan calendar. The end of the world.

And here I am spending the doomsday with bacons and a ham & egg sandwich. Waiting for a meteorite to crash into my roof.

The bacon? Gone in 60 seconds. You can kill me now.

December Book Haul

I came home with these:

Great books at a bargain! Yay! :)

Excited to read them, but I might start with Sabriel during Christmas break as I still have some books waiting to be read.

Anyway, I’m glad I finally got my hands on the Old Kingdom series (Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen). I actually bought the Abhorsen book ages ago and at a very good price too! Kinda disappointing though, the Abhorsen copy I have is from a US publisher, while Sabriel and Lirael are both from UK, which means they have different covers and different sizes.  I tend to be OC with books sometimes, especially with trilogies and series. They have to be the same. But I’m good with this for now as it took me ages to find all three. They’re not really that known to many people here and our bookstores do not have them. But who knows, one day I might have these copies in hardcover (if they’re really that worth keeping).

I also got this Shadow of the Wind. I’m not really familiar with it. But I find it interesting. One word: Bookception. You know, a book within a book. Might as well give it a try. :)

In My Mail: Something to keep me really really busy

Or maybe not. Work keeps me busy. Reading books makes me “busy” - meaning, no one can and should disturb me when my hands are flipping over pages and my mind wanders beautifully into another world.

Okay, so I’ve been into reading lately. I have to dig into my old books to find something good to re-read. But book after book, series after series, I longed for something NEW.

Since I am into fantasy novels, I scoured the internet for good books. No. Great books. I went over tons of reviews, raves and recommendations, until a friend recommended me Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. I have read how epic and awesome those books are. But since it’s going to take me a lot of time (and money at that) to invest into a series that’s already published into twelve (or thirteen?) books, I stumbled upon Mistborn Trilogy. For those who do not know, Brandon Sanderson (author of Mistborn) is the one who continued Wheel of Time series since Robert Jordan’s passing.

So I ordered a boxed set from ebay, waited three weeks for it to be shipped from UK to Ph, and voila! :)

And now I’m gonna delve into a new and unknown world and return a week or two later. See you then real world! :)

I'm Back!

Hello, blogspot! Did you miss me?

Yes, peeps. I'm officially back here at blogspot.

I've lost count how many blogs have I created and abandoned. Hopefully, this will be the last one. :)

Cobwebs Everywhere!

Really.

It’s been what? A long time since I blogged.

A lot of things actually happened.

Here is a list of a few interesting, uninteresting, and unfortunate things that happened while I'm gone away from the blogosphere:

-There's a lot of things going on that I no longer have time for vectors. Hahaha (insert sad pathetic face here)

-I got a new haircut. I bade goodbye to my lioness head and said hello to a bob.

-Lost a lot of time and effort, and an effin Php 20,000 because a client refused to pay. That was supposed to be for my son’s birthday party. Ah, this one deserves another post. You know, scumbag employers. But why waste my time? Karma is a bitch. 

-Rhett’s Bday. My Bday. Packed in one month. We celebrated it simply but we’re happy. :)

-Months later, I got a new job. My first ever office job where I get to meet new friends. Wherein I easily adjusted and got comfortable traveling from home to office and vice versa, wherein I’m already enjoying the company of my colleagues, something I don’t experience when working at home. And boom! We all got terminated. Just like that. LOL. I couldn’t blame our boss though, we turned the office into a cooking class whenever we have the time. The office has a kitchen! hahaha. And yes, we can cook. That’s where I learned how to make a california maki, an ice cream float, a healthy yogurt (I actually missed this, thank you fever, but I got the tips how to), and a few more. But nah, real reason was, company declared bankrupt (pffft, but i don’t buy that).

Bad experiences come and go. And when bad things happen, good things come. When the Lord takes away, it’s because He wants to give something better.

Also in the past months I’ve been doing what most people do. Go out with friends, attend a wedding, go to church, watch a movie, bask in the sun and a lot more.

Terrible things might have happened the past months, but I can say I still live a good life. Thank you Lord for that.

I’m cleaning the cobwebs. I'm moving this blog to blogspot. I will try to keep it active. For how long? That I do not know. :D

Summer Getaway

Sun, sand and sea. Nothing beats the summer heat. Enjoying summer while it's still here. I guess this will be the only getaway that I have for the whole year. Geez.

A Gift for a Friend's Wedding

Just a quick post. My friend Farah is finally having a church wedding of her dreams. So, as my gift, she asked me to draw them a caricature so that she can put it on her wedding invitation as a dress guide. I'm so glad she loves it! :)

Here's a photo of the lovely couple :)

The next big big thing

Excellent quotes from Warren Buffet:

On Earning: "Never depend on single income, make investment to create a second source".

On Spending: "If you buy things you do not need, soon you will have to sell things you need".

On Savings: "Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving".

On Taking Risk: "Never test the depth of river with both feet".

On Investment: "Do not put all eggs in one basket".

On Expectations: "Honesty is very expensive gift. Do not expect it from cheap people".


These are the words that I will live by starting today. I have a big big project in the next two years. And that big big project will be needing big big money. So the next big big thing that I'm going to do is to save save save, invest and take some risks, and always, always remember these big big words.

Wish me big big luck! :)

And also to you. Whatever your goals and endeavors are, I wish you to be happy and pursue whatever your heart screams.

Vectors and Vexels, and more Vectors

The things I do when I get bored.

Because I was thinking of pegasus and unicorns, I came up with such piece.
First Vector/Vexel for the love month :)

I miss my long posts. Ever since I got hooked doing vectors, I haven’t been really writing blogs about my life. But doing vectors is currently my life. haha. And I am so happy that with each vector I make, I see a lot of improvements. And this one, is my latest project.

just a simple act of gratitude. i’d like to thank Trina for introducing me to the world of crowdsourcing. i survived months without a job because of it. hahaha :))

this is one of my bests so far. i hope i did justice to her beautiful face. :) 

Hi-res: http://choiax7.deviantart.com/art/Beautiful-Girl-285896649?q=gallery%3Achoiax7%2F4842573&qo=0

Vector Art: Slash

I spent my Saturday creating lines, drawing shapes and vectoring my favorite guitarist (next to Jimi Hendrix) in the world - Slash. :)

Valentine's Day Project

 I decided to do some artwork to make a tribute to the souls that made a difference: Bob Marley, John Lennon, and Jimi Hendrix.

“If someone thinks that love and peace is a cliche that must have been left behind in the Sixties, that’s his problem. Love and peace are eternal.” - John Lennon

“One love, one heart. Let’s get together and feel alright.” - Bob Marley

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” - Jimi Hendrix

Treasures from under

While cleaning up the most ignored part of our house (the cupboard under the stairs), I am so happy I have found some good old books! I've read these more than 10 years ago, and I will definitely be reading this again. These are just a few of my favorites from Og's :)

Davao Street Art

For the eyes of other people, these marks may seem to be just mere form of vandalism: filthy and frowned upon. But not for me. I’ve always admired these colorful strokes made along the walls of McArthur Highway, Matina, Davao City. I never missed eyeing at these beautiful works each time I pass by it.
The graffiti on the walls have actually evolved, it’s getting more artsy and beautiful as time passes. And it was only the other day that I finally got the chance to walk along. :)

A part of the old wall:

This is how the walls look now:

I got some spray paint here, I wish one day I’d be able to paint one of these walls.

Wait, is this even legal? 

Vector Art: Ian Somerholder

So, I decided to vector my favorite vampire of all time: Damon Salvatore. I’m not really into vampires, especially those sparkling ones. But this, this heartless savage vampire just got me off my feet. :)

I simply love his character. He’s a real badass. And I simply love the way he smiles and the way he stares at (me) haha. I love his beautiful eyes and his messy hair. ♥♥♥'

Hi-resolution: http://choiax7.deviantart.com/art/Ian-Somerhalder-Damon-Salvatore-280502888?q=gallery%3Achoiax7%2F4842573&qo=4
Took me 4 days to finish this, at around 12+ hours. It’s all worth it :)

In My Mail: Punchdrunk Panda Boat Shoes

My Nintedo X Sega Boat Shoes that I ordered from Puncdrunk Panda arrived today!

 I love their eco-friendly bag. But I love my new shoes more!

This adorable pair is very comfy. It’s quirky, fun, and it’s not like any other boat shoes.